Malaga karate legend ends two-decade career after World Championship exit

Malaga-born karate star Damián Quintero has announced his retirement at the age of 41 after more than twenty years at the top of world kata.

The Torremolinos athlete bowed out on Saturday following his quarter-final defeat to the United States’ Olympic bronze medallist Ariel Torres, who edged him by less than a point. Quintero’s slim chance of progressing through repechage ended when Torres lost his next bout to Italy’s Alessio Ghinami.

Quintero finishes with 130 medals across national, European, world and Olympic competitions. He spent more than five years as world number one and becomes the most decorated male karateka in Spanish history.

His decision marks the end of a career widely celebrated in Malaga, where he has long been regarded as the face of local martial arts.

After his final kata, he posted a farewell letter on social media, saying: "It’s been many years of work and sacrifices. I’ve got so many memories I’ll never forget and so many people to thank. I can’t name everyone but I can’t leave out my parents, my wife and my team. They’ve always been there for the difficult moments and the good ones."

He added: "I said I wouldn’t leave while dragging myself across the tatami, and even though I’m going without a medal, I’m leaving with dignity intact. I gave everything and felt like the winner."

Quintero, an Olympic silver medallist in Tokyo, now plans to promote karate from outside competition.